Heroes
by Ginny124
Summary: When the Death Eaters attack Hogsmeade on Lily's birthday, everyone needs to be a hero. How does Lily thank her hero though? One Shot Lily/James 7th year


The day was January 30, 1978. It was a supposedly average day and the Head Girl's 18 birthday. An assault on Hogsmeade was the last thing anyone expected. That's probably why the Death Eaters chose to attack. A bright and sunny day with the streets glistening from the recent snow, it had been picturesque for a Hogsmeade visit. A school trip into the town would provide a perfect time to attack the students and the unsuspecting civilians who roamed the streets. So when the Death Eaters came in full force, chaos ensued. Along with them, two Giants roamed the streets, crushing everything in their path. Whatever the Giants didn't destroy was killed or blown to bits by the Death Eaters.

For the first time in her existence Lily was fearing for her life. She didn't have time about her demise though as she battled a Death Eater, each strike from her and the Death Eater vicious and precise. Lily soon took out the Death Eater with a quick Petrificus Totalus. Then she started running, dodging hexes and curses. She had spotted one of the masked Death Eaters torturing a small third year girl. Lily had to do something. That poor child would die if she didn't.

"Stupefy!" she yelled, and a scarlet light shot out of her wand. It hit the Death Eater in the back, stunning them and stopping the torture. The girl collapsed and Lily kept running towards the kid. She was so focused on helping the child that she didn't even notice the Giant about to step on her. Suddenly, a shadow towered over her. Lily looked up and screamed, too stunned in fear to run.

A force hit Lily in the side and she was knocked down and rolled out of the way. Lily looked up to see who saved her, only to see angry hazel eyes glaring into scared emerald ones. It was James and he was currently straddling her after pushing her out of the way of the Giant's foot. "What the hell were you doing?" James demanded. "Why would you deliberately put yourself in danger like that?"

Lily was about to answer when James ducked and a green flash of light streaked past his hair. His lips were mere inches away from hers, but she quickly shook the thought away. _This was no time to be thinking about creating a relationship with a guy,_ Lily thought.

James rolled off of Lily, shooting a spell at the Death Eater and successfully stunning him. He stood up and offered a hand to Lily, who took it and stood up, her legs shaking a little. "What were you doing anyways, running under a Giant?" he asked again, his tone a little softer now.

Just then, Lily remembered the third year girl who had fainted in the middle of the street. "The girl! We have to help her!" At that, she took off through the chaos, looking for the child, the girl who she had put her life on the line for.

"Lily! Wait!" James called after her. She knew he was running after her, but she didn't care as long as she found that kid. Lily had to make sure, she wasn't… Lily gulped and ran faster. She couldn't afford to think like that. Thinking like that would only slow her down. A building crumbled above her and she shot a powerful Reductor Curse at the falling pieces, turning the dangerous bricks flying everywhere to dust. Still, Lily kept running. She came to where the little girl lay and was now stirring. Lily knelt beside the girl and helped her sit up. The third year quickly regained consciousness and started crying. Lily hugged her and held her, muttering soothing things to the child.

"What's your name?" Lily asked softly. The girl cried a little more, and then answered her name as Jessie. "Ok, Jessie. Don't worry. I promise I'll get you out of here."

"You mean we," a female voice said from behind her. Lily looked behind her to see Marlene come to crouch down next to Lily and stroke Jessie's hair. Behind her, Sirius and James were covering for the girls, each dueling a Death Eater.

"Mar!" Lily exclaimed, relieved to see her friend was ok. When the Death Eaters had attacked the two girls had been shopping, but they had been separated in the chaos. "I need you to get Jessie out of here and somewhere safe. She was tortured. I think it was the Cruciatus Curse."

"What about you, Lily?" Marlene asked crossly. "How do I know you're going too be safe?"

Lily thought about that for a moment. How could she guarantee her own safety? She couldn't. However, she had to make sure people were safe. It was her duty as Head Girl after all. "Go. I have to do my job." At that, Marlene nodded and helped Jessie stand walking the sobbing girl as quickly and as safely as she could to shelter.

A curse shot past Lily's ear and she turned quickly to begin heated duel with a female Death Eater. It didn't look like just any Death Eater though. This one was oddly familiar with her black sprawling curls and high pitched laugh, which showed itself every time one of her curses seemingly hit their mark. She didn't wear a mask like the other ones, but it would've been useless anyways, she was distinguishably the only woman out of all the Death Eaters here. Lily glared at her as she shot hex after hex, each one at lightning speed.

A look of recognition crossed Lily's features and stopped her for a crucial moment when she recognized the woman to be Bellatrix Black, or as she was now known by her married name, Bellatrix Lestrange. This was why the woman looked so familiar to Lily! It was Sirius' cousin! Lily stared, stunned for a moment by this fact. Unfortunately, this was all Bellatrix needed.

Pain like Lily had never felt or ever wished to feel again, coursed through her body. It seized every vein and muscle and causing her to scream in agony. Tears spilled out of her eyes, but she barely noticed as her vision became hazier and hazier. Lily dropped to the ground writhing and screaming, wishing anything, even her own death, to make the torture stop. It stopped and Lily collapsed, shaking slightly. She supposed it had only lasted a few minutes, but it felt like she was tortured for days. She saw flashes of light above her head and turned it slowly to see Bellatrix dueling someone new. Now done fighting Bellatrix and with no strength to fight anyone else, Lily closed her eyes and passed out.

* * *

><p>There were voices. They were distant and detached, but Lily could definitely hear voices. She waited a few moments. The voices now had a distinct tone to them. Lily could tell one was female and one was male. They sounded like they were arguing. Lily waited another few moments. Now, she could make out what they were saying.<p>

"_How the fuck could you not notice Lily being tortured for 20 minutes!"_

"_Well, excuse me for trying to keep Sirius alive and battling a Death Eater at the same time! He was losing so much blood it was fucking hard enough to keep him awake! I'm sooo sorry for prioritizing here!"_

"_PRIORITIZING! LILY WAS HIT WITH A CRUCIATUS CURSE FOR 20 MINUTES AND SHE WASN'T A PRIORITY! Ha, and here I was thinking you actually had genuine feelings towards her!"_

"_YOU THINK I DON'T CARE WHAT HAPPENS TO LILY! Let me tell you something Mar, I love that girl and I will defend her 'till the day I die, but if a person is dying in my arms, I'M NOT GOING TO FUCKING LEAVE THEM TO BLEED TO DEATH!_

At this, Marlene chose to be quiet and Lily stirred. Immediately, the two brawling teenagers rushed to her side. Somebody touched her arm gingerly and Lily whimpered from the contact. She could still feel the memory of the pain, the pure torture that made her wish to die. The person removed their arm quickly and Lily opened her eyes slowly and looked around.

The first thing Lily realized was that she was in the hospital wing. The second thing was it was full, yet except for the two seventh years, it was silent. On one side of her, was a concerned Marlene who kept shooting death glares at a ghostly pale, angry and upset James on the other side. Lily looked behind James to see Sirius, still out cold and covered in bandages. "What happened to him?" Lily asked, her voice still sounding weak. No one answered and Lily face creased with worry. "Someone tell me, what happened to Sirius?"

It was James who first spoke up. His voice was cold and sad. "He saw you being tortured. He tried to tell me so we could help you. They hit him with this curse, I think the Death Eater said Sectumsempra and his chest, it started bleeding…" James trailed off and looked back at Sirius, the boy's body almost white from loss of blood.

Lily buried her face in her hands as tears started dripping down her face. She knew that curse all too well. It was the one Sev had invented years back and written down in that old Potions book of his. If the Death Eaters knew the curse? Lily started to cry. _It's entirely my fault,_ she thought._ If I had only worked harder at keeping the old Sev, this wouldn't have happened!_ James looked at Lily worriedly. "I'm so sorry, Lily! I didn't mean to upset you! Please, don't cry! It wasn't your fault!" James tried to give Lily a hug to comfort her, but Marlene beat him to it, shooting him another death glare.

"Why don't you just leave now, Potter, and leave Lily be! I mean you just had to make her cry, didn't you?" Lily looked up to see a defeated James turning to leave, when she slowed down her tears to a stop and called out to him.

"Please stay," she said quietly. Lily looked to Marlene and Marlene gave her a surprised look, but didn't say anything. James slowly turned around and walked back to where he had been standing the moment before beside her bed. Then, Lily turned to and said quietly enough for Marlene and only Marlene too hear. "I want to talk to James alone, but before I do, is Jessie alright?"

Marlene gave Lily a curious glance before saying, "Jessie's doing ok. She's in the Great Hall being treated. A lot of people were wounded so people who are conscious are being treated there. I can go see how she's doing if you want me too."

Lily allowed herself some small reassurance for that and said, "Ok." Then, Marlene left and Lily turned to face James. She tried to push herself up into a sitting position, but immediately James' rough, callused hand was on her shoulder to gently push her back to lying down.

"You need to rest," he stated, the melancholy of the battle still in his voice. Lily tried once more to get into a sitting position, but James wouldn't let her.

"You're acting like my mum," Lily joked, trying to defuse the tension. James let out a soft humorless laugh and stuffed his hands in his pockets, his eyes facing the floor. "Please sit," Lily asked softly, patting a spot on the bed. He sat on the spot she had motioned to still unable to look Lily in the eye. "It's not your fault you know," she began tentatively. "I wasn't about to die and Sirius was, he was the biggest priority." At this, James exploded.

"Godamnit Lily, Marlene's right! You should've been the biggest priority! Do you even know what that curse can do to people if it's cast for to long? It can make them forget everything, remember nothing, make them an empty shell for the rest of their lives!" With this speech, James was up again, pacing nervously and ringing his hands a dangerous, frustrated look in his eyes. The eyes that still couldn't seem to face Lily.

Now having regained some strength, Lily slowly struggled up into a sitting position. James immediately opened his mouth to say something about her needing to lie down, but Lily spoke first. "I'm perfectly fine in a sitting position, James and now you listen to me and listen carefully. None of what happened today is your fault! In fact, if it wasn't for you I probably would've ended up dead today." James gave her a pained expression at this statement. "You were a hero today James Potter, but even heroes can't do everything sometimes." Lily gave him a small encouraging smile as she spoke and he finally looked into her eyes. "But heroes can be thanked. Now come sit here so I can properly thank my hero."

Lily motioned for James to sit next to her once again and a now confused James obliged. She leaned forward and softly, slowly kissed him. At first, he didn't respond and Lily was afraid that maybe he didn't want the kiss. Maybe, he just loved her as a friend now or a sister. Then, James' arms wrapped around her small body and he began to kiss back, erasing all of Lily's doubts. The kiss went on and on and when they finally broke apart Lily and James both shared a deliriously happy grin. "I've been waiting about a year to do that." Lily whispered to him. He rested his forehead against hers.

"And I've been waiting about five years to do that. Happy Birthday, Lily." They sat there for a second before leaning in to kiss again. A stirring in the bed next to them followed by a wolf whistle quickly broke up the moment though and the pair turned to glare at the whistler. The glare quickly turned to glee though when they saw it had been Sirius. He had woken up and been watching them for the last few minutes. "Padfoot!" James exclaimed, running over to hug his best friend as Lily laughed in happiness and relief. They were safe and without lasting damage. Everything was going to be ok for them.

* * *

><p><strong>Heyyyy people! So I recently just bought the world and I think that includes the Harry Potter franchise… It doesn't? Ugh, that sucks! Wait, I don't own the world either? So who was that guy I gave 300 Galleons too? Oh well… :| I guess all HP stuff in this story is owned by Warner Bros. and J.K. Rowling still (I will own Harry one day, just wait and see… hehehehe).<strong>

**Anyways, this is my first attempt at a One-Shot so I hope you guys enjoy and please review! This story was made in honor of the amazing Lily Potter (née Evans) birthday. She is an inspiration and a role model character to all girls out there. Let us take a moment to honor this wonderful creation of J.K. Rowling… Moment done!**

**Anyways, now for the important stuff; the reviews! I want them! I want a ton of them! I don't care if they have one word or a million words, I want them all!**

**Finally, the random fact:**

**_Dragon blood is an effective oven cleaner._**

**Catcha lataaaa!**

**-Ginny, your epicly fantastical and totally modest author**

**PS: I would like to thank my wonderful besties Leah for Beta editing! Thanks girl! :D**


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